News & Info Article Display

It's a funny thing, renovating. The thought of doing it, and the planning, looking through magazines, choosing colours and so on, is lots of fun and you can't wait to get started.

But there comes a time, a few weeks in, when suddenly motivation becomes a bit of a problem, especially at this time of year! With temperatures rocketing and the beach beckoning, you wonder why on earth you are indoors scraping paint or sanding floors!

Motivation comes and goes but, in the meantime, can you handle living with that unfinished job?

Here are a few ideas to help you stay motivated:

Walk, don't run!

You really don't have to renovate the entire house in one afternoon! It's better to slow down, than stop altogether. Set yourself a plan: how much of the property are you renovating? Which sections are priority? Which bits can you afford to do first? And so on.

Also work out whether you want to do it by area - ie bathroom, kitchen, bedroom - or task - ie all the painting, all the flooring et cetera.

If you plan to get professionals in to help with some jobs, try and bunch them altogether so that you get your money's worth.

Reward yourself

Be it a nice cup of coffee and a biscuit, or watching your favourite TV show for an hour, promise yourself small treats each time you finish a particular task. It's amazing how much that actually helps! For bigger tasks, promise yourself something bigger, like that home and garden magazine you wanted, or a new cushion or throw for the area you are currently working on.

Remember, remember

Be sure to take before and after photographs of all your renovations. Then, when the motivation is low, have a look through and remind yourself how much you have achieved and how much better it looks.

Mix and match

If you're just spent 2 hours sanding the floor, and there's still more left to do, go and do an easier, more enjoyable job for an hour and come back to the floor. Monotony does nothing for motivation!

Be inspired

Flick through some glossies or look online at some fantastic renovations and imagine them in your home. Just look at what YOU could do! T

Looking at things we want gives a sense of excitement and anticipation and that will have you back to the paintbrush and bursting with enthusiasm.

Scary deadlines

Sounds awful, but it actually works. Tell yourself the work has to be done by Christmas, because the relatives are coming to stay, or in time for your birthday, or the birth of a baby! Don't set impossible, ridiculous deadlines, but a bit of stress will keep you moving!

Celebrate your achievement

Once all the work is done, host a dinner party or have family to stay so you can show off your success and celebrate its completion. All the compliments you receive will spur you on to your next project.

Don't be afraid to ask

For help. If you have a partner and/or kids, get them involved. Failing that, ask other family members or friends to come and lend a hand. A great way of doing this is a working bee. Lay on a barbecue and a boring task will suddenly become a fun-filled Sunday!

The power of positive

As with most things in life, motivation has a lot to do with mindset. If you tell yourself it's going to be boring and take forever and probably won't even look good, that's exactly what will happen. Once you create a thought, that's all you will focus on. So make that thought a positive one. Tell yourself how awesome you are for getting stuck in and doing some or all of the job yourself, and how amazing it's going to look.